[0008] The screen can be smoothly and stably supported by the extension and retraction of the linking mechanisms disposed on the left and right sides when the screen is pulled upward (raised) and placed in the attitude of use, or when the screen is pushed downward and placed in an accommodated attitude. Furthermore, for example, if the right end or left end (with respect to the transverse direction of the screen) of the upper-end supporting member of the screen in the deployed state (use state) is pushed downward, or if the right end or left end (with respect to the transverse direction of the screen) of the upper-end supporting member of the screen in the accommodated state is pulled upward, the amounts of extension or retraction of the left and right linking mechanisms, i.e., the swinging angles of the left and right arms, will differ. As a result, the connected slide members cannot slide (move). In other words, unless the amounts of extension or retraction of the left and right linking mechanisms are the same, the extension and retraction actions of the linking mechanisms are forcibly stopped. In short, the raising or lowering of the screen can be accomplished by causing the left and right linking mechanisms to perform specified extension or retractions operations that are constantly determined, i.e., by always insuring that the swinging angles of the left and right arms are the same, so that the left and right linking mechanisms can be extended or retracted with good stability by the same integrally linked movements. Furthermore, it is conceivable that a large device such as a left-right balancing mechanism or the like could be attached in order to insure the stable extension and retraction of the let and right linking mechanisms; in such a case, however, the size of the apparatus would be increased, and the cost would also be increased. The extension and retraction operations of the left and right arms can always be regulated to the same movements merely by connecting two slide members installed on the left and right arms as in the present invention, so that the raising and lowering of the screen can be accomplished in a smooth manner.
[0010] Accordingly, if the attitude of the screen is switched from the use attitude to the accommodated attitude, the left and right arms, i.e., the left and right upper side arms, left and right lower side arms or both sets of left and right arms, are placed in a horizontal attitude, so that the left and right slide members that are free to move with respect to the arms contact the stopper members, thus making it possible to maintain the slide members in specified positions. As a result, in cases where the screen is switched from the accommodated attitude to the use attitude, the need to position the respective slide members in specified positions, i.e., the need to adjust the respective slide members to a state in which the connected positions of the slide members are located on a vertical line positioned in the approximate center of the screen with respect to the transverse direction of the screen, can be eliminated.
[0012] The abovementioned slide members consist of two split cases, and holding parts that are used to hold (in a manner that allows
free rotation)
head parts disposed on both ends of pins used to connect the split cases so that the split cases are capable of relative rotation are disposed on the respective split cases; as a result, the split cases can easily be mounted on the assembled linking mechanisms, and both split cases can be connected to each other by the pins in a manner that allows free relative rotation with little
frictional resistance.